About The Martlet Kitchen

A plate of colourful food.

The Martlet Kitchen | Menus | About us | Opening times | Find us | Contact us | Book

Our story...

You can experience dining at The Martlet Kitchen 10am-4pm, Monday-Friday from Monday, 2 September 2024.

We'll be keeping things simple at first. Our breakfast and brunch, lunch, mains and desserts menus will all be available for you to enjoy during the week.

For your weekend visits to the marvellous Rochdale Town Hall our pop-up menu will keep your appetite at bay.

The restaurant will fully open on Monday, 23 September 2024.

We'll be bidding a fond farewell to our pop-up menu and our restaurant will be opening 7 days a week.

From afternoon teas, to evenings of fine dining and special Sunday dinners, The Martlet Kitchen promises an experience to remember.

Browse our menus, plan your visit and book your table. You don't want to miss out.

A decorative divider.

MEET THE TEAM

Chef Darren Parkinson.

Executive chef - Darren Parkinson

Leading the kitchen is multi-award winning chef Darren Parkinson.

The talented chef hails from the borough of Rochdale, having grown up in Heywood and trained in catering at Hopwood Hall College, before kicking off his long and successful career in kitchens across the UK, as well as in northern France.

Darren brings a wealth of experience, having honed his craft at the multi-award winning Shibden Mill in Halifax. During his 14-year tenure, the restaurant picked up a string of accolades, including 2 AA rosettes. It was also awarded UK food pub of the year in 2022 and Sunday lunch pub of the year, as well as Les Routiers Inn of the Year.

His role before joining our team was at the Fleece Inn in Ripponden, which also boasts 2 AA rosettes.

You'll be able to see Darren and the team in action, with banquette seating and high chairs surrounding an open kitchen.

The Martlet Kitchen Sous chef.

Sous chef - Raja Naseem

The Martlet Kitchen Sous Chef

Sous chef - Razvan-Gabriel Sandu

A decorative divider.

Allergens

If you have any allergies or dietary needs, please let us know when you book or, you can speak to one of our members of staff. More about allergens and dietary requirements.

Menu terms and conditions

The average adult needs approximately 2,000 calories per day.

Our chefs take great care in removing bones from all of our fish dishes, but please watch out for any stray bones.

To find out the alcohol by volume (ABV) of our alcoholic drinks, you can speak to a member of staff or contact us.

Sustainability and local produce

We pride ourselves on using as much sustainable and local produce as possible.

Our butchers, W H Frost are based in Cheshire and supply us with high-quality meat from independent farms.

We source our black pudding from The Bury Black Pudding Company and our rag puddings are from Jacksons Farm in Milnrow.

Our amazing Garstang blue cheese is produced by Dewlay Cheesemakers in Preston and our ice creams are from Grandpa Greene’s in Oldham.

Todmorden-based Porcus supply our delicious cured meats and our fruit and vegetables are from Ralph Livesey in Lancashire.

Behind our bar, you can find ales from Phoenix Brewery, which are brewed locally in Heywood, and Brightside Brewing Company from Radcliffe.

Defiance Distillery provides us with gins and vodkas, including our very own Rochdale Town Hall gin, produced less than a mile away at Spotland Mill in Rochdale.

Our delicious Birchall teas are produced in a fully solar-powered tea factory, that generates twice as much energy as it needs and, puts power back into the National Grid.

An old photograph of Rochdale Town Hall.

The history of Rochdale Town Hall

Rochdale Town Hall is widely regarded as one of the UK’s finest examples of Victorian Gothic architecture. Nestled within its walls, The Martlet Kitchen provides a stunning backdrop to your dining experience.

Learn more about our history

A glass door with The Martlet kitchen logo etched onto it.

How The Martlet Kitchen got its name

The Martlet is a mythical bird with no feet, it is said that the bird never roosts from the moment of birth until its final fall. Imagery of The Martlet appears throughout Rochdale Town Hall, with many examples unearthed during our restoration.

Find out about our restoration

The Martlet Kitchen | Menus | About us | Opening times | Find us | Contact us | Book